Can opener



rammed 1933 UNITED STATES lumen-nun, OI M030, H031! DAKOTA uaatoi' murn Application fled Jane semi. Serial it). new;

M invention relates to special tools, more partlcularlyito a tool for'opening cans,-and it consists of the combinations, constructions, andv arrangements herein shown and descriAbed 1 f ti to rima urpose o my mven on 15 provi dea c gn bpener which by a rapid and simple operation will enable an rator to cut the entire top from a can, us allow- 1. ing removal of the contents thereof without interference from portions of the top of the can, which is the case when the cut is made insaidto A further object of my invention is to rovide a device of the type described which as few parts, does not t out of order easily, andissimletomanu acture.

Other and advantages will appear as the cation proceeds, and the invention' be more particularly defined in the applauded claims. device is illustrated in the accompanyawing forming a part of this applica- .tion, in which I Figure 1 is an elevational view of my device with parts thereof shown in section for clearness of illustration, Figure 2 is anel vational w of the deviceasseenfrom leftof 1,' Figure 3isafragmentarydeta .view ofa portion of the device, a I

4 is'an elevational detail view 111 ed portion of the device, and

Figure 5 is a sectional view on limb-5 In out'my invention I make use of a pair of similarly formed but oppositely disposed levers, 1, having handleportions, 2,

of a

intermediate portions 3, and jaw portions4.

4. The inner of these jaw portions may beprovided 121th 5 for allowfin an auxiharyuseo my ev1 ce asa pan-o p mm. The intermediate gortions 3 are provided ith dished bores and o tel disposed and similarly formed stnss fo purposes that will soon be made clear.

Positioned between the levers at their intermediate portions is a plate member, 8 having therein a centrally located elo mi 810C 9,a1ignedwiththeboresinsaid versand a pair, of slots, 10, on either side of said slot,

9, for engagement about the stud members,

7. A portion of the top edge of this plate extends upwardly to form a U-shaped arm, 11, positioned at an angle to said plate, as most clearly seen from an examination of Fi re 1. This U-sha (1 member has in the we is thereof aligned res in which a in, 13, is journaled for rotation; Mounte on this pin, 13, is a rotatable cutting blade, 14, and a guide roller 15, adjacentv thereto.

For aiding in guiding the im lement dur-- ing the operation the plate, 8, has a lip, 16, curled downwardly from vthe upper edge.

A book, 17 projecting from the sides of the member -8 'rmits an auxiliary usage of my device as a ttle opener for crown capped bottles, as will be later described On the, stud Shaft 18, rotatable in the aligned bores 6 of the levers and through the m slot 9 of the piece 8, is'mounted a toothed wheel, 19 for rotation with said stud. This stud shaft carries at its outer end a winged head 20, having the finger holds 21 andthe shou der 22 for butting engagement with the portion of the lever adjacent thereto.

.In Figures tand 5 I show a modified form of cutting blade. In these figures the U- shaped arm 11 with its pin 12 mounts a stationary cutting blade 23, having the projectso ing portions 24 for engagement with the edges of the arm adjacent to that portion corresponding to the base of the U to prevent rotation of said'blade. The roller 15 ifs used inthis modification as inthe other orm. Y Y

For maintainingl the levers in slightly spread position, w ich is the normal position of said levers rior to the can ope Y operation, a loo spring, 25, is provide This spring, as ap most clearly from, an examination of igure 2,- engages in eye-- lets,-26, formed in the ears, 27 on each of the jaw portions 4; of levers 1. Itmay be made 7 f pring steel or any other suitable material.

It is sof-graduated and formed that it will imaintain the jaws in slightly spread posi- 1on. a

From the forego' description, the use and operation of my evice is easily understood. When the operator wishes to open a can, he places the tool thereon in the manner most clearly shown in Figure 1, with the rotatable blade, or the stationary blade if such is used, abutting the inner wall of the bead 28 at the top of the can, and the notched or toothedivheel 19 adj acentto' the outer wall of said head; He then squeezes the handles 2 so that the same are forced towardsone another, thus bringing .thejawsdinto close relationship against the pressure exerted by spring 25. This operation serves to swing the studs 7 about the stud shaft 18 in bores 6, which movement by the engagement of said studs 7 with slots 10 carries the late 8 downwardly relative to the stud sha 18 and. consequently the wheel 19. The cutting blade, beingpositioned on this plate 8, is carried downwardly thereby into forcible engagement with the top wall of the can and opposed to the wheel 19. The operator has then only to rotate the winged head 20 with his other hand to carry the device around the top of the can by means of the frictional engagement of the toothed wheel with the edge of the can during this movement. The blade during this operation will cut through the top wall of the can at the outer edge thereof, thus neatly severing the top therefrom. During the operation the blade will be guided in pro er position and the operation facilitated by the roller 15 resting on top of the bead and the car 16 resting on top of the can. The operator has then only to release his grip and the instrument is ready for repetition of the operation.

When the operator desires to utilize the device as an opener for bottles with crown caps, he merely places the outer edge of the jaw on the top of the cap, engages the hook member 17 beneath the edge of said cap, and raises upwardly.

When he desires to utilize the device as a pair of pliers, he simply removes the spring 25 from the jaws 4 by bending the ends thereof when the spring has been secured in the eyelets by this means, or by other methods when the same has been otherwise secured.

It is thus seen that I have provided a tool or opening cans that easily and efficiently cuts the top Walls from said cans to entirely remove the top thereof, thus facilitating greatly removal of the contents of the can.

It is further seen that I have provided a dev ce of the type described which is also adapted to the crown capped bottles and of graspin materials in a manner similar to a pair 0 pliers.

What I desire to claim and secure by Lett'ers Patent is: v

1. In a can opener a 'pair of similarly formed and oppositely disposed levers having intermediateportions normal thereto, a swivel connection between said levers at said intermediate portions, a stud on each of said auxlliary usages of opening levers but oppositely disposed relative to said swivel connection, a plate having a slot for slidable engagement with said swlvel connection, and laterally extending slots on either side of said first-named slot for slidable engagement with said studs, a cutting member positioned on said plate for engagement with the top wall of a can, and a member rotatable with the swivel connection between said levers, and normally positioned in spaced relation to said cuttin member, whereby movement of the hand es of said levers towards one another forces said cuttin member towards said second-named mem er for severingthe wall of the can during rotation of said second-named member.

2. In acan opener a rotatable member for engagement with the outer wall of the bead of a can, a blade support comprising an inverted U-shaped member having a spindle extending through the arms thereof, a blade mounted on said spindle for engagement with the top wall of the can, shoulders projecting from said blade for engagement with the edges of the U-shaped member adjacent to the portion corresponding to the base of the U, and means for forcing said blade support towards said rotatable member for severing the wall of said can upon rotation of said rotatable member.

3. In a can opener a pair of similarly formed but oppositely disposed levers having intermediate portions extending transversely to the axes thereof, a stud shaft swivelly mounting said levers at said intermediate portions, a stud extending inwardly at each of said intermediate portions on each of said levers the stud of one of said intermediate portions being positioned on one side of said stud shaft and the stud of the other of said intermediate portions being positioned on the other side of said stud-shaft, a plate having a slot extending in the direction of the axes of said levers for engagement about said stud shaft, and a air of laterally extending slots on either side of said firstnamed slot for engagement with said studs, 9. cutting member positioned on said plate for engagement with the top wall of a can, and a member positioned on said stud shaft for rotation therewith, whereby movement of said levers towards one another during the rotation of said rotatable member forces said cutting member towards said rotatable member for severing the wall of the can.

4. In a can opener a pair of similarly formed and oppositely disposed levers, a stud shaft for swivelly mounting said levers, a stud on each of said levers the'stud on one of said levers being on one side of the stud shaft and the stud on the other of said levers being on the other side of said stud shaft, a plate positioned betweensaid levers and having a slot extending in the direction of the axes of said levers for engagement about said '26 her for severing the wall of the can upon stud shaft, and laterally extending slots for engagement about said studs, a cutting member positioned on said plate for engagement with the top wall of a can, a member rotat- 5 able with said stud shaft for en a ement with the outer wall of the bead o t s can, and a resilient member interconnecting the ends of said levers to normally maintain said levers in partially opened position whereby 1" movement of said levers towards one another forces said cutting member towards said second-named member to sever the wall of the can during rotation of said second-named member.

1 5. In a can opener a pair of swivelly interconnected levers, a stud on each of said levers, a member having slots for slidable engagement with said studs, a cutting member positioned on saidslotted member for en- 20 gage'ment with the wall of a can, and a rotatable member positioned in spaced relation to said cutting member, where b movement of the levers relative to one anot er forces'said cutting member towards said rotatablememrotation of said rotatable member.

JULIUS J. ELSTER. 

